Love during War Time
by Echelon8394
Summary: if someone would've intervened between Dieter, Archie and Hugo, could they still be alive? What if this someone knew about Shosanna's plan and told the Basterds. Archie/oc/Dieter - eventually Archie/oc and Donny/oc. (PS: sorry if i wrote the language wrongly because i'm using Google Translate)
1. Prologue

Love during War Time

**(I'm not sure if I get the translation right because I'm using google translate, so if I did any mistake on the language, please forgive me :))**

Heidi was busy washing the windows of her shop. Her aunt and uncle, who used to own the bakery shop, had passed away a few years ago. Heidi had inherited it after their death and her friend, Lillian Moreau helped her running the shop. Heidi particularly lived in that shop with Lillian. Every morning, they would take turn to sweep and wash the windows.

Every morning, Heidi is greeted by her next door neighbor who owned a cinema. She's a Jewish by the name of Shosanna Dreyfus disguised as a French woman named Emmanuelle Mimieux. "_Bonjour Heidi! Qu'est-ce qui est au menu aujourd'hui?_ (Good morning, Heidi! What's on the menu today?)", said Shosanna. "_"Bonjour Emmanuelle! Je fais une tarte aujourd'hui. Venez vous…, et dire que Marcel Lillian fait son pain préféré _(Good morning, Emmanuelle! I'm making some tarts today. Come and have some…, and tell Marcel that Lillian is making his favourite bread)", said Heidi. "_Très bien! Nous serons là plus tard! _(Alright! We'll be there later!)", Shosanna said before continuing her chores of cleaning the border of her cinema.

Every day, when she opened her shop, she's always greeted by Nazi soldiers. Although they are in their best behavior, Heidi couldn't help but hate them a little because Lillian's cousin was a Jew who died from being shot by a drunken Nazi soldier. One particular German – a Gestapo officer often would bring her flower every morning he came. Today, he brought her a rose.

"_Bonjour Heidi! Une belle rose pour une belle dame _(Good morning, Heidi! A lovely rose for a lovely lady)", said the Gestapo officer. "_Oh, Dieter, vous ne devriez pas avoir _(Oh, Dieter, you shouldn't have)", said Heidi. "_Je voulais. d'ailleurs, vous aimez les fleurs que je t'ai donné _(I wanted to, besides you love the flowers I gave you)", said Dieter. To him, it was a waste of time to learn French, but he learned it anyway so he could talk to her every day.

Dieter Hellstrom is a major in the Gestapo and a single man like him could use a lovely lady as a wife, but Heidi had turned him down. A few months ago, Heidi's late fiancé, Mishca Moreau, Lillian's brother, who was an artist went to visit his Jew friends at Germany. His friends got killed including him who was mistaken for a Jew. Heidi didn't tell Dieter, fearing that Dieter might kill her or do something worse. Dieter kept his distance, but he's still hoping.

Dieter ordered his croissant before leaving for a meeting. "_à demain, mon cher. Adieu _(Till tomorrow, my dear. Farewell)", said Dieter as he kissed her hand. Heidi smiled and waved him good bye. As the day went by, Heidi entertained a lot of German soldiers while Lillian stayed behind the kitchen because she hated them for what they did to Mischa and didn't even want to socialize with them.

Heidi's chef, Mrs Delacroix, a French woman who helped out at the shop to support her children while her husband worked as a postman. When it's closing time, Heidi would give some of her handmade secret recipe bread for Mrs Delacroix to bring back home for supper. Heidi and Lillian lived above the shop. "_combien de temps vous gardez la socialisation avec les porcs allemands? _(How long will you keep socializing with those German pigs?)", asked Lillian as she swept the floor. Heidi, who was wiping the table, sighed and said, "_J'ai gardé en vie jusqu'à nous, non? _(I've kept us alive so far, right?)". "_en socialisant avec ceux qui avaient tué Mischa? _(By socializing with those who had killed Mischa?)", said Lillian.

"_techniquement, ils n'ont pas tué Mischa _(Technically, they didn't kill Mischa)", said Heidi. "_mais ils sont l'allemand! Ils ont tué Mischa! _(But they're the Germans! They killed Mischa!)", yelled Lillian. "_Je sais que ça! ne pense pas que je n'aime pas! _(I know that! Don't think I don't!)", Heidi yelled back and she ran to her room, crying.

That was her every day routine. Lillian and Heidi were friends, then enemies, and then friends again. Lillian knew how much Heidi hated the Germans, but this is what they have to do in order to survive. Lillian always wanted Heidi to be happy and Mischa would've wanted the same thing.


	2. Chapter 1

Chp 1

One sunny day, Heidi and Lillian decided to pick some fresh fruits at an orchard belonged to Lillian's only living relatives – her uncle and aunt, just at the outskirt of Paris. As they were picking fruits, they were caught by German soldiers who thought that they were Jewish. Neither of them knew how to speak German and as they were tied behind their back and were getting ready to be executed, bullets were blazing everywhere and Heidi and Lillian thought that they were dead.

The closed their eyes and when they opened after the firing had ceased, most of the German soldiers were shot dead, except for three of them. "Well, well, well, that was some exercise boys!", they heard American English accent. When the rope was cut off, Lillian hid behind Heidi. A man – somewhere around his 40s' Heidi assumed, crouched in front of them. "Speak English?", he asked. Lillian knew a little, but Heidi spoke very well. She nodded and said, "I can, but my friend can only understand a little".

"Are you German?", asked the man. Heidi shook her head and said, "No, sir! I'm French! I owned a bakery shop in Paris and this orchard belongs to Lillian's uncle. Please, sir, we're not Germans!". "A'ight, I get it. I believe you. My name is Lt Aldo Raine and these are my men. Ever heard of us?", asked the man. Aldo Raine? Then, as memory served, Heidi said, "Are you The Basterds? Are you here to kill the Germans? I'm Heidi and this is Lillian". "Yup, that's us. Nice to meet you two ladies. Now, I was hoping that you could.., um, cover your eyes for a bit. You do know how we work, right?", said Aldo.

The Basterds don't take in prisoners and if there were survivors, they will be carved on their forehead the swastika mark. Heidi whispered to Lillian to shield herself as the Basterds dealt with the surviving German soldiers, but Lillian braved herself. They always wanted to see how the Basterds killed Nazis. "You two are pretty brave for ladies", said Aldo. "My fiancé – her brother was killed in Germany because he was mistaken for a Jew. We heard rumors and we want to know if they were true about how one of you beat Germans with a club", said Heidi.

"Yup, that be Donny over there", said Aldo as he pointed out a man holding a bat, "You might know him better by his nickname – The Bear Jew". Lillian blushed upon seeing the Bear Jew aka Sergeant Donny Donowitz. Donny, on the other hand, gave her a smile and winked at her. Heidi counted eight of them, minus Aldo. As Aldo interrogated a German soldier with a man named Wicki as his translator, the rest went to scalp the dead soldiers' heads.

When the soldiers didn't want to cooperate, Donny beat him with his bat and bashed the brains out. Lillian and Heidi held themselves because they wanted to see how the Bear Jew worked even though it disgusted them. The other one received the same fate as the first while the last one received the mark on the forehead. After releasing the last German soldiers, Aldo turned his attention to Heidi and Lillian.

"So, ladies, I'm pretty sure we could come to an arrangement in exchange that you wouldn't tell them Germans about our whereabouts", said Aldo. "Would you kill us if we do?", asked Heidi. "Well, I don't wanna mess up your pretty face and your friend's and I'm pretty sure Donny doesn't want to either", said Aldo. "Well, we'll keep our mouth shut. You can be sure of that, sir", said Heidi. "Didn't you say you owned a bakery?", asked Donny. Heidi nodded.

Donny whispered something into Aldo's ear. "Well, here's the deal. We will use the basement of your bakery as our headquarters and we will place Wicki here as a worker in your shop. In exchange that we will give you protection and we will gain information on what we need from them Germans. How's that sound?", asked Aldo. Lillian whispered, "_êtes-vous sûr qu'ils peuvent faire confiance? _(Are you sure they can be trusted?)". Heidi thought for a while.

"Can I have your word, Lt Aldo?", asked Heidi. "You have my words and so as the boys", said Aldo. "So if I let you stay in my bakery, you would keep us safe", said Heidi, conforming Aldo's word. "That's about it", said Aldo. Heidi thought of it for a bit and said, "Alright, but we need to be discreet. German soldiers are often in my bakery till the evening, but today I've closed the shop because of one of the pipe has burst and flooded the basement. It should be done by now. Come at midnight, but I suggest you'd be careful. There are a few German patrols sometimes", said Heidi. She took out a piece of paper and wrote down her bakery address.

That night, after the plumber and the cleaner did their job, Heidi closed the windows and pulled the blinds at the front window. She left the back door opened and waited with Lillian. As they waited, Lillian cleaned up the shop a little and Heidi went to the kitchen to start on the dough for tomorrow. By midnight, they heard nothing from the outside. "_peut-être qu'ils changent d'avis? _(Maybe they change their mind?)", said Lillian, but Heidi doubted it.

A few minutes later, they heard footsteps. Heidi grabbed her rolling pin while Lillian gripped her broomstick in case any Germans were to come in. Then, they heard knocking and heard Aldo's voice, "Ladies? It's Aldo". Heidi and Lillian breathed out a sigh of relief before opening the door. The Basterds entered quickly and settled themselves at the chairs and tables while Heidi went to get some supper for them. Lillian stood behind the counter, wiping it while stealing some glances at Donny.

Heidi gave them each a freshly baked croissant and a cup of coffee. "That's all I can offer, sir", said Heidi. "That'll do, girl", said Aldo as he chewed his bread. "I'm afraid I only have one guest bedroom upstairs at the attic and I cleaned the basement. Maybe half of you could stay up while the rest stay down. There's a flight of stairs if you climbed outside the window from the attic and there's a small window, which could fit you that could lead from the basement towards the outside if you want to get out because I can't risk the Germans seeing you", said Heidi.

"Wicki, Hugo, Donny and I can take the attic. The rest of you, down below", said Aldo. After they finished their supper, they moved to their rooms, leaving Aldo, Wicki, Heidi and Lillian downstairs. "Ladies, I'd like to ask a couple of questions. Start with how many Germans come and go on a daily basis?", asked Aldo. "Depends on the business; sometimes there's a lot of them, including the officers and sometimes there just the enlisted ones", said Heidi. "Do you interact with them often? Maybe a particular one?", asked Wicki.

"There is one, a Major Dieter Hellstrom of the Gestapo", said Heidi, "He gives me flower every morning". "That's nice of him, maybe another agenda behind all that", said Aldo. "I told him no because I met him a week after Mischa's death. He kept his distance, but he's still hoping", said Heidi. "Gestapo eh? Hugo would love to give the guy a taste of his knife", said Aldo. "Did anyone of them harassed you in some point?", asked Wicki. "So far, none did. They knew the major is close to me, that's why I guess", said Heidi.

"What work do you suppose Wicki here could do?", asked Aldo. "Well, he could help with the register with me or helped in cleaning from time to time. Unless if you have a skill in baking", said Heidi. Wicki shrugged and said, "Maybe I can help with the register or the coffee machine". "The barrister it is then", said Heidi. "_bien, les gars, je pourrais aussi bien prendre leur retraite au lit maintenant. bonne nuit _(well, boys, I might as well retire to bed now. Good night)", said Lillian before leaving to her room. "Well, she's right. It's getting late and you have a shop to keep. We'll try not to bother you for tomorrow", said Aldo. "You can sit and have breakfast. Germans don't usually stay to have lunch and chit chats. They usually take away their food because it's easier. Try to blend in, but don't look at them. They might question you. Try to get some documents for you and your boys, just to be safe", said Heidi.

"For a baker owner, you sure know a lot", said Aldo. "I have a few Jewish friends in hiding and I know a thing or two about blending in", said Heidi. She bit them good night before leaving to her bedroom. She prayed tomorrow will go on as usual.


	3. Chapter 2

Chp 2

The next day, Heidi had Wicki helped her clean the front window. When Dieter came, he noticed that Heidi had a new worker; a male nonetheless. "_Bonjour Heidi! _(Good morning Heidi!)", said Dieter as he handed her a daisy, "_je vois que vous avez un nouveau collaborateur _(I see that you have a new coworker)". Heidi could detect jealousy in his voice. "_Madame Delacroix est cause de maladie et c'est son neveu qui est arrivé de Strasbourg _(Mrs Delacroix is calling in sick and this is her nephew who arrived from Strasbourg)", said Heidi.

"_Strasbourg? À proximité de la frontière? peut-il parler allemand et en français? _(Strasbourg? Nearby the border? Can he speak French and German?)", asked Dieter. Heidi nodded as she placed the daisy in her vase where the flowers that Dieter gave. "_Il n'interrompt pas nous sera t-il? _(He won't interrupt us will he?)", asked Dieter. "_Non, il est là pour vous aider sa tante et sa famille. il n'interrompra pas moins qu'il pense, il est nécessaire _(No, he's here to help her aunt and her family. He will not interrupt unless he thinks it is necessary)", said Heidi.

Wicki worked like a normal person while his ears collected information from the German soldiers that come and go. By the end of the day, as they closed the shop, Wicki said, "That major is hitting on you". "Think I don't know that?", said Heidi. "Need me to hassle him up?", asked Wicki. "Worried for me now, are you? No need, so far, he's been a good boy", said Heidi, "But I will let you know when he does".

That night, Heidi made some stew for the boys. "Say, Heidi, the orchard when we first met belongs to Lillian's uncle right?", asked Aldo. Heidi nodded as she joined the boys at the table with Lillian. "We have a soldier from British arriving to help us. Think you can have him land there?", asked Aldo. Heidi first thought Aldo wanted to land a plane as she gave him a shocked face. "Naw, we ain't landing a plane there. He'll jump out with a parachute", said Aldo. Heidi sighed with relief.

"_Aldo demandé s'ils pouvaient trouver un autre soldat au verger de votre oncle ou non? _(Aldo asked whether they could land another soldier at your uncle's orchard or not?)", asked Heidi. Lillian chewed her food and nodded. "_vous, mon oncle sera de sortir de la ville avec ma tante la semaine prochaine et le verger sera vide _(Sure, uncle will be going out of town with aunty next week and the orchard will be empty)", said Lillian after she finished chewing her food. "Lillian said her uncle and aunt will be out of town next week. So it'll be perfect then because no one is usually there when they're not around", said Heidi. "Great! Hirchberg, call 'em and tell them the coordinate and date and time", said Aldo.

(Next week)

Heidi had to close the shop, using mice as an excuse. She was getting good in German. She told Wicki she understood German but she couldn't speak the language and Wicki and Hugo had been helping her with German while Donny has been teaching Lillian English. Heidi was picking up the falling apples from the tree just in case any German passed by while the boys sat above the high tree and Lillian is back at the house with Donny hiding in there to keep her safe.

Heidi kept her eyes above to see any aircraft. When she saw one, she began whistling, to signal as Aldo had told her to. Aldo, seeing that it was the right plane, he began making squirrel sounds. Heidi sat the basket of apples down nearby a tree and saw a man with a parachute landing just a few meters in front of her while the boys descended down from the trees.

"Lt Archie Hicox I presume?", said Aldo. "Reporting for duty", said the man with British accent as he removed the parachute, "Lt Aldo Raine I presume". Aldo held out his hand and they shook hands. The man, Hicox as Heidi presume noticed her. "Is the woman with you?", asked Archie. "She's been hiding us for the last week. We used her bakery shop house as a hideout and in exchange for protection. She did helped us putting one of our man as her worker to get information, not to mention she makes a mean dinner", said Aldo and it made Heidi blushed. Lillian usually complained and hardly praised her because Heidi is the only one who can cook.

"Come inside before the Germans see all of you", said Heidi when she snapped back into reality. By night, they moved back to the bakery quietly, avoiding German patrols. Archie resided at the basement. When Heidi was about to get ready for bed, there was a knock on her door. "It's Hicox", said Archie. Heidi put on her robe and opened the door. "I was wondering if I could borrow your mirror?", he asked as he held out his shaving knife.

Heidi led him to the bathroom and watched as he shaved. "Do you mind if I ask for your help? I always hate shaving", he said. Heidi nodded and grabbed the knife from his hands. Their fingers brushed and Heidi felt like electric flowed within her. She blushed as he scratched his head. She never felt anything like this since Mischa. "Can you sit down? I can see better that way", said Heidi. Archie sat down at the stool and Heidi began to shave his stubble.

Archie could smell her shampoo and steal a few glances at the exposed neck. He tried to focus back into reality, just until she finished shaving his stubble. When she finished and left to wash off the lather from the knife, Archie sighed heavily. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable", said Heidi as she handed back his knife. When Heidi was about to leave, Archie shut the door and held out his hands by the door to block her. They stared for a while before Archie approached closer to kiss her. That is until there was a knock on the door. "Excuse me if I'm interrupting, but this is an emergency!", they heard Aldo yelled outside.

Before running back to her room, Heidi managed to kiss Archie at the cheek. When Aldo saw Heidi rushed back to her room, he looked at her room before returning his attention to the British lieutenant, who was standing there, stunned by Heidi's move. Aldo just smile before shoving the lieutenant out from the bathroom.


	4. Chapter 3

Chp 3

Heidi and Wicki worked at the front counter while Lillian busied herself with baking and Donny helping her. The rest of The Basterds and Lt Archie Hicox blend in as tourist or mute local people. Dieter came in as usual, with a bouquet of flower this time. Archie saw the interaction between Dieter and Heidi and his face flushed as he tried to hold his anger.

"Calm down, son. There's nothing between them", said Aldo as he sipped his coffee. "What between who?", said Archie. "C'mon, you can't fool old Aldo. I see how you two looked at each other last night", said Aldo. "That was…, nothing…", said Archie as he hesitated. "Yea right, nothing", said Aldo as they continued to watch.

Dieter left and during the afternoon, Heidi saw he returned back but his driver parked outside Shosanna's cinema. Heidi went out to throw the garbage and tried to eavesdrop as she walked slightly slower than the usual. When she closed the lids, she turned around to see Shosanna went into the car and Dieter flashed a smile to Heidi. She returned the smile before Dieter left.

By the end of the day, Wicki helped closed the shop as usual. The boys were busy cleaning their guns out front after they pulled down the blinds while Heidi and Mrs Delacroix cooked dinner for them. Lillian and Donny had made a routine to disappear for an hour or two every night. "_vous serez bien après mon départ? _(Will you be alright after I leave?)", asked Mrs Delacroix. "_je vais bien. d'ailleurs, c'est peut-être le meilleur moment pour utiliser les compétences de mon oncle m'a appris _(I will be fine. Besides, this might be the best time to use the skills my uncle taught me)", said Heidi.

After Mrs Delacroix left, Heidi, Wicki and Archie set the table and helped to serve the dinner. Lillian and Donny returned with a bottle of wine. As they ate, Archie scanned around the bakery and saw a portrait of an old Frenchman wearing a black coloured royal guard uniform and a feathery hat. "Who is that?", asked Archie. The Basterds turned their attention towards the painting.

"That would be my great great grandfather, Count Aldric Ambroise d'Francis. He used to be a captain in the Musketeer guard, where he served King Louis XIII. He was one of his trusted soldiers. He passed on the sword to my father and my father had given it to my uncle and now it is in my possession. My great great grandfather is among the best swordsman in France back then, where he passed the skills onto his son and his son until my uncle passed it on to me. The sword itself has a name", Heidi explained. "If he's a Count, why aren't you a Countess? Why are you working in a bakery instead of living in a big house with maids and servants?", asked Hugo.

"Well, during his time after the death of King Louis XIII, he served under his son, King Louis XIV and after his death, his son, Count Aldric II was accused to swindle with the King's money when it is actually Cardinal Richelieu's job to look after the treasure of the king. As a musketeer, what the king decree is what they will do. He was stripped of his title and he and his family were forced out of their property. Luckily for him, his wife had managed to hide some of Count Aldric I's fortune somewhere safe and they opened a bakery right here. So if he wasn't accused, we might never meet and I won't be wearing rags and bake and lived in a shop", said Heidi as she ate.

"Where did you keep the sword?", asked Aldo. Heidi gave a cunning smile and said, "Why would I tell you?". Aldo shrugged and said, "Humor me". "Somewhere I can reach", said Heidi. The boys looked underneath the table and found no sword hidden. Lillian laughed at Donny who was frantically searching for the famous sword. Heidi laughed and said, "Don't worry, children. I will not harm you. I pledge with the musketeer vow and will only use it for protection".

They finished off dinner and Wicki helped washing the dishes. Archie came into the kitchen and he wanted to talk to Heidi about yesterday. Wicki excused himself and Archie took over. "About last night…", said Archie, but Heidi interrupted him, "It was nothing right? At least, to you". "It's not that. I was wondering if we could talk about it", said Archie. "There's nothing to talk about", said Heidi as she touched the ring that hung from her chain around her neck.

Archie saw it and asked, "Are you engaged?". Heidi flinched at the question and said, "Once". "What happened?", Archie asked again. "Mishca was Lillian's brother. He was artist and he went to Germany to visit his Jew friends. German soldiers raided their house and he got killed before he can speak", said Heidi as she scrubbed the plate roughly. Archie held her hand to stop her and Heidi immediately fall into his arms, crying.

"We were going to get married the day after that and when he didn't show up, I got worried. The next thing I knew, Monsieur Delacroix came in and told me that Mischa was killed", Heidi sobbed. Archie held her in his arms for a while as he tried to calm her down. Lillian peeked to see what was going on and saw the two of them. "What's going on in there?", asked Hirschberg. Lillian shook her head and said, "Nothing, Heidi is having a bad moment. You can leave the dish here and go to sleep".

Heidi stayed in Archie's arm until she dozed off while sobbing. Archie picked her up and carried her to her room. He tucked her in and kissed her forehead. Before he left, he took another glance towards Heidi. He quietly shut the door and went to bed.


	5. Chapter 4

**To Leena: Archie will have his chance, but I won't disclose about Dieter. Hehe, that's my secret ;)**

**To hellojello1313: Lillian's story will be in this particular chapter. Enjoy! :) **

**To Guest: let's just hope he doesn't turn sour in this chapter until the end of the story :)**

Chp 4

The next day, Heidi was about to send some bread to Shosanna and Marcel when she overheard their plan to blow up the cinema during the German night. Heidi knocked and handed over the bread once their conversation was over. Heidi headed back to her bakery when Dieter stopped her at the front door, holding some orchid in his hand.

"_Bonjour Heidi, comment allez-vous aujourd'hui? _(Hello Heidi, how are you today?)", asked Dieter with a smile. "_Je vais bien, Dieter, merci de le demander _(I'm fine, Dieter, thank you for asking)", Heidi replied as she received the orchids from Dieter. "_Sera-ce un mal pour vous demander de sortir la semaine prochaine? Il ya un nouveau film que je veux que tu m'accompagner_. (Will it be a trouble to ask you out next week? There's a new movie out that I want you to accompany me)", said Dieter.

"_Oh, comment gentil de ta part, Dieter! Je ne sais pas si je suis libre, mais je vais vous laisser savoir si je suis ok?_ (Oh, how sweet of you, Dieter! I don't know if I'm free, but I'll let you know if I am, ok?)", said Heidi. Dieter nodded and smiled at her. His transport arrived and he gave Heidi a salute before leaving. Heidi giggled as she waved him goodbye.

When Heidi went back to her work station, Archie said, "_je vois que vous êtes proche de celui majeure Gestapo _(I see that you are close to that major Gestapo)". "pourquoi devriez-vous vous soucier de moi? J'ai fait cela pendant si longtemps et il n'arrêtait pas de me Lillian et vivant. (Why should you worry about me? I've been doing that for so long and it kept me and Lillian alive)", said Heidi as she avoided the eye contact with Archie.

Archie was about to reply when Aldo pulled him away, whispering to him, "Talk later. Remember our cover". That night, during dinner, Heidi told Aldo of Shosanna's plan. "Blow up during a German premier? Brave girl, she is", said Aldo. After dinner, Aldo, Heidi and Wicki went to Shosanna's cinema, which also served as her resident. Heidi yelled Shosanna's French name a couple time until Marcel poked his head outta the window.

"_Marcel, Emmanuelle est là? j'ai besoin de lui parler! c'est important!_ (Marcel, is Emmanuelle there? I need to speak to her! It's important!)", Heidi yelled and Marcel nodded before disappearing. Aldo and Wicki hid outta Marcel's sight. When Shosanna opened the door, Aldo and Wicki pushed through and Heidi quickly closed the door. "_quel est le sens de tout cela?! _(What is the meaning of this?!)", Shosanna yelled.

"We heard about your plan to kill some German on a premier night and we're here to offer you a deal", said Aldo. Shosanna looked at Aldo and Wicki before gazing at Heidi. Heidi nodded, stating that they were safe to be trusted. "I'm listening", said Shosanna. They discussed with Marcel guarding outside, pretending to sit outside and smoke. "What we will do is that, you let a few of our man disguise as some of your 'extra workers' and after them German have gone in to watch the damn movie, we will place our own explosive and lock the whole place down before the blow up", said Aldo.

"I have my very own explosives. Film nitrates. I have over 350 of them", said Shosanna. "That's a lot of explosive than what we have", said Aldo, "So, we got ourselves a deal?". Shosanna held out her hand and she and Aldo shook hands in agreement. Before leaving, Shosanna whispered to Heidi, "_essayez de ne pas s'impliquer lors de la première_ (Try not to get involved during the premier)". "_je ne peux pas, une gestapo m'a invité, mais je vais essayer de faire mon chemin avant l'explosion. _(I can't, a Gestapo has invited me, but I'll try to make my way out before the explosion)", said Heidi.

Shosanna hugged her and said, "_j'ai perdu ma famille. Je ne peux pas se permettre de perdre parce que vous êtes comme une soeur pour moi. _(I lost my family. I can't afford to lose you because you are like a sister to me)". "_je sais. Je vais bien. vous n'avez pas à vous soucier de moi. _(I know. I'll be fine. You don't have to worry much about me)", said Heidi before waving her good night.

(Meanwhile)

Lillian and Donny were snuggling together on her bed while others were sound asleep at their respective places. "You know, Heidi told her side of the family. I never heard yours", said Donny. Lillian nuzzled up at his chest and began her story, "My mum and dad were ordinary people. My dad and uncle owned the orchard where we first met. After my mum and dad died during an accident, my uncle took over the orchard and he gave me the share every month even though I have a steady job. My mum was a dancer, where she worked at a theater in the heart of Paris. Everyone was quite surprised she chose my father over some wealthy aristocrat and she had Mischa and me. Mischa grew up to be an artist where as I have a dream to open a bakery after knowing Heidi for a few years. Mischa died when he went to visit some of his Jew friends in German before the war started. Heidi and Mischa met at the same time I met her, when we were children because our parents were mutual friends. As they grew up, they fell in love and were about to get married when we received the news that Mischa died in cold blood. Heidi stayed single until today".

"Until Hicox came", said Donny as he tangled his fingers in her hair. Lillian giggled and said, "You should see them, blushing all the time". "What about that Nazi guy who always hitting on her?", asked Donny. Lillian scowled and said, "He's always persistent. He wants her undivided attention, but Heidi won't give it to him. At first, she was still grieving over Mischa and now, I think she's fighting his temptation because she likes Hicox". "Let's just hope everything will go smoothly and maybe, she'll be happy. Like us", said Donny. Lillian kissed him good night before drifting into deep slumber.


	6. Chapter 5

Chp 5

Archie received a coded message, where he's to rendezvous with a British agent at a tavern in Nadine tomorrow night. That night, he knocked on Heidi's room, although he hesitated at first. Heidi opened the door slightly to peek outside to see who it was. Archie gave her a smile while holding out his shaving knife. Heidi rolled her eyes, grabbed her robes and took the knife from him before the two headed to the adjacent bathroom.

Archie sat down on a stool while Heidi prepared the shaving cream. After applying the cream to his face and placing a towel nearby, Heidi bent down to shave Archie's stubble. Her hand was shaking slightly and Archie noticed it. "Come closer", said Archie. Heidi closed the gap between him and her and started to shave again. Archie took this opportunity to grab her by the waist and Heidi landed slightly on top of him as she rested herself on his lap.

Heidi protested at first and Archie said, "I don't mind. Please don't move". Heidi finished shaving him and said, "There, it's done. Can you let me go now?". "One more thing, Heidi", said Archie, "Close your eyes". Heidi closed her eyes and Archie cupped her face. He lowered her face to his and kissed her. Heidi dropped the shaving knife that she was holding and tangled her fingers into his hair while Archie had one hand holding her waist in place while the other was trying to untie her robe.

Heidi and Archie were kissing for a while that they didn't notice Hugo, who opened the door and found them like that. Luckily he opened the door with cautious and laughed at sight, which startled Heidi and Archie. Lucky for her, she was wearing a robe. "Now, now, I won't tell. I'll be waiting outside, but don't take too long", said Hugo before leaving them.

Heidi wiggled herself out and went straight to her room, leaving Archie dumb-found and Hugo stood there awkwardly. When she was about to close her door, Archie went after her and managed to hold the door. "Archie, please, go away", she begged him, hoping he would stop whatever he was doing. "Heidi, let me in. Please", he begged her. Heidi slowly let go of the door and Archie moved in slowly.

They sat in an awkward silent on her bed. Heidi took off her robe and climbed on to the bed and Archie sat for a while before lying down next to her. Heidi closed their gap and snuggled in his arms. "I'm sorry", said Archie. "For what?", said Heidi; her words were like whispers. "You're still mourning from your fiancé's death and here I am trying to seduce you", said Archie. "Perhaps, it's time for me to move on", said Heidi.

Archie grasped her chin with his thumb and fore finger so they could see eye to eye. "I won't do anything if you're not ready", he said. Heidi thought for a while and said, "There are two things you can do for me". "Anything for you, Heidi", said Archie. "One, sleep here with me", said Heidi. "Easily done", said Archie as he gave her a smile. "Two, give me a kiss", said Heidi. Archie gave out a light chuckle before smothering her lips with a passionate kiss. Heidi fell asleep in his arms as he kissed her forehead, bidding her goodnight before entering a deep slumber himself.

(The next day)

After closing the shop, Heidi, Lillian and the Basterds headed to the rendezvous discreetly. Lillian was busy showing Donny the areas as they sat at the back of their truck while Heidi was simply putting her head on Archie's shoulder at the front seat. Aldo, who was driving simply grinned at the sight of the lovebirds.

They reached a village in Nadine, where Archie had to rendezvous with the British spy at a tavern called La Louisiane. They hid in an empty abandoned house across the street when they reached the tavern. "You didn't say that the goddamn rendezvous is in a fucking basement", said Aldo, obviously pissed as he observed the tavern. Heidi, who was busy making tea for the boys, listened intently.

"I didn't know", said Archie. "You said it was in a tavern", said Aldo. "It is a tavern", Archie replied. "Yeah, in a basement", said Aldo, "You know, fighting in a basement offers a lot of difficulties. Number one being, you're fighting in a basement!". Wicki approached them and said, "What if we go in there and she's not even there?". "We wait", said Archie, "Don't worry. She's a British spy. She'll make the rendezvous". Wicki sighed as he smoked his cigarette.

Heidi went to Hugo and saw him sharpening his knife. "Hugo, can you do something for me?", she asked. Hugo stopped his movement and looked at her. "Look after them and don't do anything stupid", she said. Hugo smiled and nodded. Archie left with Wicki and Hugo and Heidi watched from the window with Aldo. "Does he know?", Aldo asked suddenly. "Know about what?", Heidi said, pretending to be oblivious. "C'mon, Heidi, the guy isn't gonna be here forever before some French or British chick swipe him away", said Aldo. Heidi knew Aldo was referring to Archie and she said, "I just hope their safe". Aldo nodded with a sly smile.

After a while, Heidi felt uneasy. "What's taking them so long?", said Heidi. "That's normal", said Aldo, but Heidi was not satisfied. She quietly walked out and went to the tavern and was about to find the surprise of her life.


	7. Chapter 6

Chp 6

Heidi quietly snatched Archie's coat and walked. Thankfully, Aldo who was watching didn't notice her. When she descended down the stairs a little and peeked. She saw Archie, Hugo and Wicki and a woman with brown hat. Then, she saw Dieter. _'Damn it! What the hell is he doing here?!'_, thought Heidi. She's debating whether to go or not but her female instinct told her just go, but if she wants to go, she's needed a dramatic excuse.

She noticed the waitress was an old friend of hers named Mathilda. Heidi had to look slightly frantic and worried for her act, so she messed up her hair a little and ran down the stairs. Mathilda, who saw her, quickly put her tray down and ran to her. "_Heidi, quel est le problème? Pourquoi êtes-vous comme ça? _(Heidi, what's wrong? Why are you like this?)", asked Mathilda. "_Mathilda, avez-vous vu Lillian? Elle a disparu toute la soirée et je ne pouvais pas trouver n'importe où!_ (Mathilda, have you seen Lillian? She's been missing all evening and I couldn't find her anywhere!)", said Heidi, pretending to be worried about Lillian being missing when Lillian was busy at the hide-out with Donny.

"_Lillian a disparu?_ _Où pouvait-elle aller? _ (Lillian's missing? Where could she go?)", gasped Mathilda as she dragged her friend to the bar. "Heidi?", Dieter asked as he got up. Heidi turned around and said, "_Dieter? Que faites-vous ici? _ (Dieter? What are you doing here?)". "_C'est ma nuit de repos. Que faites-vous ici?_ (It's my night off. What are you doing here?)", asked Heidi. Dieter gave a glare at Mathilda and she timidly went back to work. "_Oh, Dieter, Je suis tellement se soucier de Lillian. Nous avons décidé de faire une visite à un de nos amis. Ils nous ont invités pour une fête et Lillian rencontré ce gars. Ils s'en allèrent vers Dieu sait où, et maintenant elle a disparu! Je ne peux pas la trouver nulle part et je suis tellement s'inquiéter pour elle! _(Oh, Dieter, I'm so worry about Lillian. We decided to make a visit to a friend of ours. They invited us for a party and Lillian met this guy. They went off to God knows where and now she's missing! I can't find her anywhere and I'm so worry about her!)", said Heidi, frantically.

"_Calmez-vouz, calmez-vous _(Calm down, calm down)", said Dieter as he ran his hands up and down on her arms to reassure her, "_Je vais terminer mes boissons avec certains de mes amis et nous allons aller chercher elle, ok? D'ailleurs, je ne peux vous laisser errer sur votre propre à cette heure. Qui sait ce qui va vous arriver._ (I'll finish my drinks with some friends of mine and we'll go and find her, ok? Besides, I can't let you wander on your own at this hour. Who knows what will happen to you)". He pulled a chair at the bar and asked her to sit. "_Eric, gießen ihr einen Drink. Es ist auf mich_ (Eric, pour her a drink. It's on me)", said Dieter and the bold bartender nodded. Dieter went back to his seat.

The bold bartender, Eric asked what she wanted and Heidi asked for a brandy. The bartender poured her a glass before resuming his reading. Heidi sat there, drinking her brandy as she listened to their conversation. Her German was getting better thanks to Wicki and Hugo. Then, she heard Archie ordered three whiskeys and after Eric had delivered the whiskeys, they toasted. Heidi heard a gun click that put her into an internally panic state, but kept her face straight. She saw Eric slowly moved his hand downwards, probably reaching for his gun or rifle.

Heidi didn't focus on the conversation. She sat there, froze on her seat. She gulped down her brandy and dragged her seat to sit between Dieter and Hugo. "_Jungs, lasst uns hier nicht zu kämpfen_ (Boys, let's not fight here)", she said in German, which surprised Dieter. "_Heidi, was machst du?_ (Heidi, what are you doing?)", asked Dieter in his mother tongue, "_und wie genau Sie wissen, wie Deutsch zu sprechen?_ (And how exactly you know how to speak German?)". Heidi noticed the woman in a brown hat was actually the famous German actress, Bridget von Hammersmark.

"_Dieter,_ _das ist, was passiert, wenn Sie deutsche Armee geben Sie Ihren Shop Alltag haben _ (Dieter, that is what happen when you have German army enter your shop everyday)", said Heidi. Dieter chuckled and said, "_Sie kennen diese Leute nicht wahr?_ (You know these people, right?)". Heidi gave a silent answer and a straight face. Dieter nodded and said as he pointed out to Wicki, "_Kein Wunder, kennt er _(No wonder he is familiar)". "Well, old-boy, I hope you don't mind if I go out speaking the kings", said Archie as he switched to English.

"By all means, captain", said Dieter; his English is impeccable, thought Heidi. "Heidi is right. We should not fight here. I prefer if we get up quietly and leave", said Archie. "No, no, no, that's not how it will work", said Dieter. "Dieter, please, listen to them", said Heidi. "_Warum sollte ich zu ihnen oder Sie hören? Du hast mich angelogen die ganze Zeit!_ (Why should I listen to them or you? You lied to me this whole time!)", said Dieter, angrily. "_Warum sollte ich zu ihnen oder Sie hören? Du hast mich angelogen die ganze Zeit! _(Not at the first few times)", Heidi mumbled in German.

"Well, major? Your call", said Archie. Dieter looked over to Heidi. True, she lied and cheated him. He had hoped for her love even though he knew it was something that he'll never get. Dieter sighed and said, "_gut, wir ruhig gehen_ (Fine, we'll go quietly)". "_Danke, Dieter. _(Thank you, Dieter)", said Heidi. "_Ich mache das nicht für Sie _(I'm not doing it for you!)", Dieter snapped at her, even though it was a lie. He only left with them quietly, instead of blazing gun fire, was because of Heidi.

They left the bar quietly and back to their truck before Wicki knocked Dieter out cold with his handgun. When they got back at the hide out, Archie snapped at Heidi, "What the hell were you thinking?! You could've been killed!". "Well, you're welcome because I managed to talk him out of the idea of killing the lot of you!", Heidi yelled back before walking away. "Hell hath no fury for a woman's scorn", said Aldo. "She's right. We're lucky to be alive because of her", said Wicki.

Heidi sat outside, looking at the stars. 'Mischa, am I doing the right thing?', she thought as she gazed out towards the sky. "Want a smoke?", a German accent voice startled her. It was Bridget von Hammersmark. Heidi shook her head as the actress sat next to her as she lit her cigarette. "You know, men always thought that women should only cook, clean, keep the house, and take care of children and so on, but they don't know that women is actually a greater force than they think", said Bridget.

Heidi couldn't agree more. Who said women can't do what a man can do? "You like him, don't you?", asked Bridget. Heidi looked at her with confusion. "Don't play games with me. I saw the way Hicox looked at you and I know that look anywhere. He likes you. It's just he doesn't know how to express it", said Bridget, "You know, sometimes, women have to make the first move before we miss the chance".

Then, Wicki came out to ask Bridget to come in and continue their discussion. "Heidi, you coming in?", asked Wicki. Heidi thought for a second and said, "I'll stay out here for a while". Wicki gave a small smile before went in, leaving Heidi to her own thought.


	8. Chapter 7

**(To my fellow readers, especially Leena, I finally realized that I actually DID posted chapter 6 twice and the chapter 5 was missed out-.- this is due to the stress and depression which I had been fighting for a few weeks thanks to some people at my campus. Fear not, I'll dedicate this chapter to all of you especially Leena :) )**

Chp 7

They covered Dieter's head with a sack as they took him back to Paris. "You know, Heidi, we don't usually take in prisoners, but since you've been so kind to us all the way, we won't kill him though. I hope you don't mind us interrogate him", said Aldo. "Sure, I don't mind, but don't hurt him that bad", said Heidi. Aldo decided not to use the bakery; instead they headed for the orchard.

Once they reached there, Hirschberg and Omar dragged him out with the sack still on his head. "You wanna come?", asked Aldo. Heidi shook her head, deciding not to see what violence that the Basterds will implicate on Dieter. Archie kissed Heidi's forehead before leaving with the Basterds. Lillian opened the window that connected the front seat and the back and said, "You like him, don't you?". "It's the same how you and Donny are", said Heidi. Lillian giggled as she heard Heidi's remark.

Heidi saw Donny beating Dieter and even after all those beating, Dieter still stood strong, not giving up. Heidi felt sorry for him and she wasn't sure whether to go to him or just sit there. Archie who saw Heidi's reaction from afar towards Donny beating Dieter, he ordered Donny to stop. "Look, major, let's make our job easier and tell us what we wanna know. If you can't do it for anyone, do it for Heidi. I know you like her, but I'm sorry she didn't return your love. All and all, she still cares for you. So, save us the trouble and help us out", said Aldo, but Dieter still refused.

Wicki suddenly remembered something, about Shosanna and her cinema. He whispered to Aldo and he nodded. "Since you ain't cooperating, what shall we do with you?", said Aldo, "I can't kill you because of Heidi. She's been a big help for us and I'm sure you know her long enough that you don't wanna kill her. So, we'll let you off…, but not that easy".

They put the sack back on and Hirschberg knocked him out with the butt of his rifle. They dragged him inside the truck and drove back to the bakery. On the way, they made a pit stop nearby a shop and stowed the unconscious Dieter at the storage room outside the store before heading to the bakery. That evening, Bridget brought her tailor to take measuring for Archie, Wicki and Hugo. Bridget, who for the first time tasted Heidi's baking, said, "_Mon, ma, c'est tellement délicieux! Je me demande qui sera le chanceux d'être votre mari et avoir tous les jours._ (My, my, this is so delicious! I wonder who will be the lucky guy to be your husband and have this everyday)". Heidi blushed and thanked Bridget for her praise. Aldo noticed Archie smiling when Bridget praised Heidi.

(That night)

After dinner, Heidi decided to retire early. She was lying in her bed, under her blanket when Archie came in and kissed her temple. "Are you alright?", he asked. "I'm worry…, for tomorrow", answered Heidi. Archie got under the blanket and pulled her in her arms. Heidi turned around and placed her head close to his chest. "I…, I love you Heidi. I hope tomorrow everything will turn alright", said Archie. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. Heidi knew by the time she returned his kiss, there will be no turning back and they made love that night.

Later at midnight, she woke up with a sudden jolt. She turned to see Archie was still asleep soundly. She put on her robe and went to her closet. She uncovered her chest, which she had kept hidden by covering it with a white sheet. She opened the chest and dug out the infamous musketeer sword that belong to her great great grandfather. She held the sword on one hand and her rosemary on the other and prayed that tomorrow will go as swift as possible. She had come to love Archie and she knew it was time to move on. She put the sword back into the chest, covered it back and went to bed, snuggling for the warmth at Archie's body.


	9. Chapter 8

Chp 8

German night came. Archie went as Bridget's escort with Hugo and Wicki as a German photographer and his assistant. Heidi was a little bit jealous, but she knew this was for the mission. Heidi went alone as Lillian stayed behind while Donny was here, undercover. Shosanna greeted her and introduced to the main star and attention, Fredrick Zoller, after her conversation with the director and some actor that Heidi didn't know. Shosanna was wearing a red dress with a black cap and a net that covered her face. Heidi, on the other hand, wore a black knee length dress with silver stitching and matching silver shoes.

Some of the Basterds members hid among the crowds, some as cinema workers, distributing drinks or cigarette packs, or working at the bar, preparing drinks for everyone. Heidi sat at the bar with Omar, Hirschberg and Donny. "You think everything will go according to plan?", she heard Donny whispered to her as he passed her drink. Heidi raised her glass and Donny got the idea.

Then, a German came by and greeted Heidi. She knew this man well; he was known as the Jew Hunter, Colonel Hans Landa of SS. He was usually among the first few customers that came to Heidi's bakery for her scones or croissants and a cup of coffee. "_bonne soirée Heidi. Vous êtes ici sur votre propre? Où Dieter? _(Good evening Heidi. Are you here on your own? Where's Dieter?)", asked Col. Landa. "_Colonel, il est bon de vous voir! Je ne suis pas sûr de bien Dieter. Son chauffeur est venu aujourd'hui et a dit qu'il ne se sentait pas bien. _(Colonel, it's good to see you! I'm not sure about Dieter though. His driver came today and said he was not feeling well)", said Heidi.

"_Oh, pauvre type. il va manquer tout le plaisir ce soir _(Oh, poor guy. He'll miss all the fun tonight)", said Col. Landa. "_Ne vous inquiétez pas; je vais lui faire savoir ce qu'il va manquer demain quand je vais lui rendre visite. _(Don't worry; I'll let him know what he will miss tomorrow when I go to visit him.)", said Heidi. Then, it was announced that the movie was about to start. "_Heidi, allons-nous? Le film est sur le point de commencer. _(Heidi, shall we? The film is about to start.)", said Col. Landa. "_Allez-y, colonel, je vais juste finir ce premier verre. _(Go ahead, colonel, I'm just going to finish this drink first.)", said Heidi. Col. Landa nodded his head and bid her farewell before going in.

Heidi and Archie locked eyes and he gave her a wink and a smile. Heidi smiled and giggled. After Archie went in, Heidi slipped away to the projector room. There, she met up with Marcel and Shosanna, who had just finished reeling over the plan with Marcel. Marcel left to go and lock all doors, except for the back door for everyone to leave and the secret exit door behind the big screen for him to escape. Shosanna continued her work while Heidi sat at a corner watching the movie from the projection room.

Then, there was knocking at the door. Heidi quickly stood next to the door when Shosanna opened the door. In her hand, she grabbed a piece of steel that was lying nearby her. It was Fredrick and he said, "_Vous êtes le responsable de ce cinéma? Je veux récupérer mon argent. L'acteur dans le film pue_ (Are you the manager of this cinema? I want my money back. The actor in the movie stinks)". Heidi rolled her eyes when she heard his words. Typical to be self flattered, she thought.

Shosanna asked what was he doing here and he answered, "_Je suis venu vous rendre visite _(I came to visit you)". "_Tu ne vois pas comment je suis occupé?_ (Can't you see how busy I am?)", said Shosanna. "_Alors permettez-moi d'apporter une aide _(Then allow me to lend an assist)", said Fredrick. "_Fredrick, ce n'est pas drôle, vous ne pouvez pas être ici _(Fredrick, it's not funny, you can't be here)", said Shosanna, "_Ceci est votre premier ministre, vous avez besoin d'être là avec eux_ (This is your premier, you need to be out there with them)". She didn't worry much about him being here; she was worried about Heidi.

"_Normalement, vous auriez raison. Et pour tous les autres films que je fais, j'ai l'intention de supporter des soirées comme ce soir, dans l'esprit qui convient. Toutefois, le fait demeure, le film est basé sur mes exploits militaires. Et dans ce cas, mes exploits se composait de tuer beaucoup d'hommes. Par conséquent, la partie du film qui joue maintenant, je n'aime pas regarder cette partie. _(Normally you would be right. And for all the other films I do, I intend to endure evenings like tonight, in the proper spirit. However, the fact remains, the film is based on my military exploits. And in this case, my exploits consisted of killing many men. Consequently, the part of the film that's playing now, I don't like watching this part.)", said Fredrick. "_Je suis désolé, Fredrick, mais –_ (I am sorry, Fredrick, but –)", said Shosanna, but he cut her off, "_Donc, je me suis dit que je viendrais ici et faire ce que je fais de mieux – vous ennuyer _(So, I thought, I'd come up here and do what I do best – annoy you)".

Fredrick continued, "_Et à partir de l'expression sur votre visage, il semblerait que je n'ai pas perdu la main_ (And from the look on your face, it would appear I haven't lost my touch)". "_Vous êtes tellement habitués à les nazis baiser le cul, vous avez oublié ce que le mot 'non' veut dire? Non, vous ne pouvez pas être ici! Maintenant va-t'en!_ (Are you so used to the Nazis kissing your ass, you've forgotten what the word 'no' means? No, you can't be here! Now go away!)", said Shosanna as she closed the door, but Fredrick pushed his way in and unbeknownst to him, the door hit Heidi's nose hard. She used her hand to muffle her screams as she cursed him internally.

Shosanna rubbed her hand and said, "_Fredrick, tu me fais mal _(Fredrick, you hurt me)". "_Eh bien, il est bon de savoir que vous pouvez ressentir quelque chose. Même si c'est juste une douleur physique. Je ne suis pas un homme, vous pouvez dire 'disparaître' à ... _(Well, it's nice to know you can feel something. Even if it is just physical pain. I'm not a man you can say 'go away' to…)", said Fredrick, but Heidi cut him off by hitting him with the steel on her hand.

Fredrick fell to the ground just in time for Archie, Hugo and Wicki to arrive at them. "The fräulein has left. We've positioned the extra explosive and all our men had exited the building. Time for us to leave", said Archie. The fourth projection has been reeled in by Shosanna and they left the cinema that awaits its own doom.


	10. Chapter 9

**(Finally, it's been a month. Sorry folks, my schedule nowadays are quite tight and I still have assignments pending, though I'm taking time to write this chapter because I thought that I'm abandoning you guys and Fassy here. Ehehehe ;) So here it is! Enjoy =) ) **

Chp 9

The Basterds, Archie, Heidi, Lillian, Shosanna and Marcel sat at Heidi's bakery, eating supper with the blinds drawn as the cinema burned. People were busy fetching waters while they were busy eating. "When do you think they'll finish yapping?", asked Hirschberg. "Until they put out the fire", said Aldo. "Do you think that people would think you die in there?", asked Wicki. Shosanna shrugged and said, "Perhaps, who knows? Marcel and I are free to do whatever we want".

They finished their food and put them in the basin to wash tomorrow. Everyone went to bed with Shosanna and Marcel sleeping at Lillian's room on the floor using a spare mattress that Heidi kept. Heidi, on the other hand, snuggled against Archie for a little warmth and comfort. People were still busy putting out the fire. "The mission is over. The Germans and Hitler are dead", said Heidi. "I know", he said and kissed her forehead. "You'll be going home, won't you?", she said.

Archie didn't answer her for a while. Would he go home now? What about her? "Do you want me to go home?", he asked her. "I don't know. Do you want to go?", she said. He grasped her chin and brought her face to his so they could meet each other's gaze. He closed in and kissed her. "I love you Heidi", he said. She smiled and said, "I love you too. Now, shut up and kiss me". They made love that night and forgot all the things happened and whatsoever problem they had today.

(The next morning)

Heidi woke up all alone. She scanned her room and Archie's clothes were not even there. She put on her robes and went downstairs. Mrs. Delacroix was busy making breakfast for The Basterds, Lillian, Shosanna and Marcel as they were happily eating. "_Ah, Heidi! Vous êtes éveillé. Pouvez-vous me donner un coup de main à la cuisine s'il vous plaît? _(Ah, Heidi! You're awake. Can you give me a hand at the kitchen please?)", asked Mrs. Delacroix and she followed her to the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Mrs. Delacroix closed the door. "_Lt. Hicox laissé pour vous quand je suis arrivé ce matin _(Lt. Hicox left this for you when I came in this morning)", said Mrs. Delacroix as she handed Heidi a folded letter. Heidi took it and sat down at a chair nearby. She unfolded the letter and began reading them – "To my dearest Heidi, I've come to tell you regrettably that I must leave. The war is over and a British soldier with plain clothes has come with a telegram that my mother has fallen ill and that I must return to report back to my superiors. I don't know how long I will have to be there, but as soon as I'm done, I will return to you immediately. Surely my mother will adore you, knowing that not many women had made her son that smitten. Until we meet again. I love you. Archie".

Heidi sobbed. Archie had left and she all alone now. "_Je suis sûr qu'il va revenir. Il vous aime, Heidi. Il reviendra pour vous. _(I'm sure he'll return. He loves you, Heidi. He'll come back for you.)", said Mrs. Delacroix. Heidi nodded, but she felt like this was the last time she'll heard of him. She went upstairs, tears streaming from her face. Lillian and Shosanna saw the tears and ran after her. Heidi locked herself in the bathroom. "_Heidi, quel est le problème? _(Heidi, what's wrong?)", asked Shosanna as she knocked on the bathroom door, but Heidi ignored them as she cried on her own. Lillian ran down and asked Mrs. Delacroix what had happened. The elder woman didn't give any answer, but merely showed the letter at the table that Heidi left. Lillian took the letter and sat outside with The Basterds, Shosanna and Marcel. Thanks to Donny and Heidi, her English was getting better and she was able to speak and write better.

"_Dieser idiot _(That idiot)", Hugo mumbled. "He could've told her at least if he plans to leave", said Donny. Aldo sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sure Hicox will come back for her. I mean, the way that they're always together? He'll come back. I know he will", said Aldo.


	11. Chapter 10

Chp 10

Donny proposed to Lillian and they have a small wedding at her uncle's orchard. After a week, The Basterds were leaving Paris to US. Lillian was slightly reluctant, but Heidi gave her reassurance that she'll be fine. They promised to write as Donny and Lillian boarded their ship and began their new life together. Donny's uncle had left him a building as an inheritance and Donny decided to fulfill Lillian's wish – to start a bakery of her own, now with Donny. Meanwhile, Shosanna and Marcel decided to use the money that they saved to buy a farm and lived in the country side.

A month after the whole ordeal and the wedding, Heidi began to fall sick. She vomited whatever she ate and most of the time; Mrs. Delacroix had to force her to bed rest. The elder woman called a physician and the physician brought great news – Heidi was pregnant. Heidi wrote to Lillian, in English, saying – "I'm with child, his child. How am I supposed to live? Obviously the shop's income will help, but I really don't think I can do it on my own. Surely Mrs. Delacroix is here, but just think about it. She won't be here forever".

Heidi waited for a few months, but Archie never returned. She was already six months now. One day, she was opening the shop, she found a man, Dieter Hellstrom to be exact in plain clothes. "_Hallo, Heidi. Wie geht es Ihnen? _(Hi, Heidi. How are you?)", he asked. Heidi managed to smile and placed her hand on her growing belly. "_Einer der Basterd Nachkommen, nehme ich an? _(One of The Basterd's offspring, I presume?), he asked again.

"_Nein, es ist Archie. Der mit dem gefälschten deutschen Akzent. _(No, it's Archie's. The one with the fake German accent.)", said Heidi. She nudged him to come inside. He sat down at the breakfast bar by the window and handed him a cup of coffee. "_Wo ist er?_ (Where is he?)", he asked. Heidi kept quiet for a couple minutes before telling him what had happened after the German night. "_Wie konnte er verlassen Sie in einer Zeit wie dieser? _(How could he leave you at a time like this?)", he said. Heidi simply shrugged. "_Genug von mir. Wie bist du gewesen? Es tut mir leid für alles. _(Enough about me. How have you been? I'm sorry for everything.)", said Heidi and they spent time talking about each other.

Dieter had helped Heidi and Mrs. Delacroix with the bakery. Heidi was thankful enough. Two months later on one evening, Dieter was busy helping with the garbage when he spotted a man in a British uniform across the street, a man who is very familiar. Dieter slowly walked backwards back into the shop. He peeked through the window and the man is still there. Heidi, who was nearly giving birth, saw Dieter's weird behavior. "_Dieter, was ist los? _(Dieter, what's wrong?)", she asked. "_Der Mann von der anderen Straßenseite, sieht er sehr vertraut _(That man from across the street, he looks very familiar)", said Dieter.

Heidi peeked outside. She knew the man – it was Archie. She smiled, contently for what it seemed so long. She ran outside and hugged him, but he didn't return the hug. Instead, he pushed her away. "So it seems that I'm intruding", he said. "What do you mean by that?", she asked. "Then, what is he doing here?", he said, pointing at Dieter, who was at the door. "He was only helping. I should be asking you where you have been. You left me just like that! This child is yours…, ours", said Heidi.

"How can I be sure it's mine? It could've been his!", he yelled at her. Heidi began to cry. "Please, Archie. What I'm saying it's the truth. I love you", she said as she sobbed. Archie still won't believe her and he walked away. "Archie, where are you going? Archie, come back!", she yelled as she dropped to the ground. Dieter ran to her with Mrs. Delacroix behind him. "_Mach dir keine Sorgen, Heidi. Ich bin sicher, dass wir mit ihm darüber reden _(Don't worry, Heidi. I'm sure we can talk to him about this)", said Dieter. Then, Heidi grabbed his forearm hard and water was seemingly coming from in between her legs.

"_Monsieur Hellstrom, je pense qu'il est temps _(Mr. Hellstrom, I think it's time)", said Mrs. Delacroix. Dieter picked up Heidi and carried her back to the bakery while Mr. Delacroix, who arrived to pick his wife, ended up rushing with Mrs. Delacroix to fetch the physician and their son rushed to get Shosanna and Marcel.

(Later that night)

Archie was smoking and drinking a scotch in a bar when Shosanna and Marcel found him. "What are you doing? She's in labour!", yelled Shosanna. "It's not mine", said Archie as he dunk in his drink. Shosanna couldn't believe it. She asked for a cup of water from the bartender and when she got it, she threw it at Archie. "What in the bloody hell is wrong with you, woman?!", he yelled. "Me?! What in the bloody hell is wrong with me?! It's you who has a problem! Dieter is only there because you were not there for her! The only person she has been with intimately after Mischa is you!", she yelled back. Archie was speechless. "Come, Marcel. This is useless", said Shosanna and she left with Marcel. Maybe…, she was right. Maybe Heidi was telling the truth.


End file.
